Portable crane



Jan. 10, 1939.

H. HAYES PORTABLE CRANE Filed July 12, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. HIL fMI EJ BY a A T mRNEY H. HAYES- POBTABLE C RANE Jan. 10, 1939.

Filed July 12, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HAL M222? BY w Jan. 10, 1939. H. HAYES 2,143,111

PORTABLE CRANE Filed July 12, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HAL 134K617 ATTORNEY Jan.'10, 1939. H HAYES 2,143,111

' PORTABLE CRANE Filed July 12, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. @Z JEAYFJ ATTORNEY Jan.- 10, 1939.

H. HAYES PORTABLE CRANE Filed July 12, 1957 5 Shets-Sheefc, 5

INVENTOR. HAL HIIZ'J' A1TORNEY Patented 58.11.10, .1939 v UNITED STATES ATENI OFFICE PORTABLE CRANE Hal Hayes, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Hayes Econocrete Corporation of America, RenopNev This invention relates to apparatus for use in connection with building operations, and particularly pertains to a portable crane.

In various building operation in which concrete is used, especially as,the building material, and particularly in connection with structures such as concrete houses, the walls of which are pro-.

vehicle upon which the concrete mixer and the crane are carried to operate the concrete/mixer and the elevating means for delivering the concrete to the crane and discharging it therefrom in a desired placed position.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a motor vehicle upon which a concrete mixer is mounted and a collapsible tower and crane construction which may be disposed in an operative unfolded position whenits useis desired, and which, structure may then be driven by the power plane of the vehicle to produce its necessary operating functions. The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the vehicle with the tower and the crane. thereon, said elements-being disposed iktheir extended and operating positions.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation similar to that of Fig. 1, showing the tower and the crane in their collapsed positions ready for transit.

Fig. 3 is a view in diagram. in side elevation showing the crane partially folded and indicating a second position of folding in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical view in side elevation showing the crane completely folded and indicating an intermediate folded position in dotted lines.

tower structure in the condition disclosed in Fig.

6; and with the turn table and the crane removed.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view in plan through 'the tower as seen on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a, view in plan through the tower as -5 seen onthe line Ill-40 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a view in top elevation showing the crane and the turn table mounted upon the tower; i

Fig. 12 is an enlarged view in plan showing the 10 power transmission units as generally indicated in Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a view in section and elevation as seen on the line l.3l3 of Fig.-12 and discloses the brake and the clutch control mechanism. 15

Fig. 14 is a view in central longitudinal section as seen on'the line l4|4 of Fig. 12 and discloses the clutch mechanism in the crane drum.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a control for certain of the operating mech- 20 Fig. 16 is an enlarged view in section and elevation showing a reversible hoist drive.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary view showing an automatic brake structure embodied in the device. 5

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I 0

indicates a motor truck having a power plant which is generally indicated at l2, but which is not shown in detail due to the fact that such' power plants are the usual combustion engine and 30 transmission of a motor vehicle. Suitably connected with the transmission of the motor vehicle a at the corners of a square area. The uprights are preferably in'the form of structural angles. Slidably mounted within the angle uprights l1 are extension uprights IS. The extension up- 45 rights l9 are suitably braced together by cross braces 20 to provide a rigid structure of square horizontal section which may be moved bodily 'within the tower structure comprising the lower uprights ll. 4 suitable driving mechanism is 0 provided for this structure, as wfll be hereinafter described.

Carried upon the frame structure including the extension members 19 is a hopper 2| into which material may be placed and from which it may 5 be withdrawn through a discharge spout 22. This discharge spout has an extension pipe 23 connected therewith and is closed with a gate 24 at its discharge end. Carried by a horizontal frame element 25 is a pair of guide rails 26 which are spaced from each other and receive rollers 21 mounted on a hoist bucket 28. Theupper end of the guide rails 26 are bifurcated so that the rollers 2! may swing with relation to each other and tip the bucket. Alower extension 29 of the guide rails 26 arerigidly connected with a platform 30 of the tower structure I1 and permit the bucket 29 to move to a position where material from the cement mixer I5 may be discharged thereinto. The bucket 29 is raised and lowered by suitable driving means to be hereinafter described. Mounted upon the top of the upper tower extension I9 is a turn table 3!. This turn table is adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane and is fitted at its edge with an annular gear 32 which meshes with a gear 33 by which the turn table may be rotated. Mounted upon the rotating element of the turn table is a pair of bearing blocks 34 carrying a horizontal king pin 35. This king pin pivotally connects the bearing blocks 34 and the turn table 3| with a foot 36 of a boom 31.

The boom 3'! comprises a pair of arm sections 39 and 39 which are hinged together at 49 and may swing through a vertical plane with relation to each other to assume a collapsed or extended position. Mounted upon the rotating element of the turn table is a mast M which is held by boom stays 42 which are connected with horizontal brace arms 43 fixed to and lying horizontally upon the upper face of the turn table 3i. These arms as particularly shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings are disposed at an angle to each other and provide a rigid support for the outer ends of the stays 42 so that the mast 4I may be suitablybraced for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Mounted atthe upper end of the mast 4! is-a hanger 44 for a sheave 45. Attached to the hanger 44 is a cable 46 which is led around a block 4'! attached to a hanger 48 on the outer boom section 39 by a hook 49. The cable is then led over the sheave block 45 and down through the hopper 20 to the hoisting drum 59, the details of which will be later described. The boom 31 carries a bearing structure SE at its-free outer end and this bearing structure in turn carries a pulley 52. The pulley 52 receives a cable 53, one end of which is attached to a traveling block 54 and the other end of which is led down through the tower to a winding drum 55. A cable 56 is attached to the opposite side of the traveling block 54 and is led down to the opposite side of the drum 55. In fact the cable'lengths 53 and 56 may represent a continuous cable wound around the drum so that when one length is wound on to the drum the other length will be wound off of the drum to shift the traveling block 54. The traveling block 54 embraces the lower edge of the boom 31 and is fitted with rollers 51 which ride along the lower channeled flange 58 of the boom. A-pulley 59 is carried by the traveling block and over this pulley a cable 69 is led. The cable carries a suitable hook 6! to receive the bucket 16. The cable 60 is led over one of a set of pulleys 62 on the turn table and is then led downwardly to a winding drum 63 of the transmission unit.

The winding drums 55 and 63 are freely mounted upon a shaft 64. At opposite ends of the drums are spiders 65 and 66. The spider 65 is keyed upon the shaft carrying the drum 55 and disposed in a plane circumscribed by the drum.

reach-rod I5 and a shackle I6.

Clutch shoes 61 are pivotally mounted upon the outer ends of the arms of the spider 65 and may engage the inner circumference of the drum 55. This is accomplished by links 69 which are pivoted to the shoes 61 and also to a shifting collar 59. The collar 69 is splined on to the shaft 64 and may be shifted by a shifting arm III which is pivoted upon a pin II carried by a bracket I2 of the frame structure I3. The pin II also carries an operating arm 14 which is connected to a The rod l5 is also connected with a rod I1. This rod extends to an operating arm 18 of a pivot pin I9 carried by a bracket at the opposite end of the winding drum 63. The pin I9 also carried a shifting lever 8| which engages a collar BZsplined upon the shaft 64 at the outer end of the drum 63. Links 83 are pivoted to the collar and also to shoes 84 which may be expanded into the end of the winding drum 63 to lock the drum and the clutch spider 66 together. The lever arms 14 and I8, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, connect with crank plates 85 carrying links 86 and 81. These links are attached to brake bands 88, one of which encircles each of the winding drums 55 and 63. A tension spring 89 acts to hold the crank plates 95 and their links 86 to apply tension upon the brake bands. The lever arrangement is such as to insure that the brakes will be released when the clutches are set and will be set when the clutches are released. The spider 56 carries a gear 99 and since the spider 65 is keyed to the shaft 64 the gear 99 will rotate therewith. This gear is in mesh with a gear pinion 9I carried upon a shaft 93 housed in suitable bearings upon the frame I3. Mounted upon the outer end of the shaft 92, as shown in Fig. 12, is a clutch collar 93 which is splined on to the shaft and may be shifted by a lever 94. Disposed at opposite sides of the clutch collar are gear pinions 95 which are in mesh with a gear 96. Thus when the collar 93 is shifted longitudinally of the shaft 92, the shaft 92 may be driven in opposite directions. The lever 94 is mounted upon a pin 91 to which a lever 98 is secured. This lever is fitted with a reach-rod 99 at its free end which rod connects with an operating lever l 09 to be hereinafter described. The drum 5!] is fitted with a brake band structure Hli and is provided with a clutch mechanism I02 similar to that previously described and shown in Fig. 13. This clutch operatively connects the drum 50 with the shaft I03 which carries the drum 50 and which shaft is rotatably supported in bearings I94 on the frame. A shifting yoke I95 is provided .to shift the clutch mechanism into and out of position. This yoke is provided with a lever I06 attached to an operating rod I0! by'which it may be moved. The operating rod conrects with a draw bar I98.

By reference to Fig. 15, a particular arrangement for separately operating certain of the clutch levers is shown. It will be seen that the lever 18 is provide-cl with a pin I99 to which rods TI and a rod H0 are attached. Each of these rods is formed with a slotted opening to receive the pin. The rod II as has been previously described is operated in unison with the rod 75 through the bar I6. The rod H9 is operated through the bar III. By this arrangement the bar 16 may be operated to simultaneously actuate both of the drums 55 and 63, but if desired the rod I I0 may be actuated through the rod III, to separately operate the clutch for drum 63.

By reference to Fig. 16 shaft H2 is indicated removable shaft which is temporarily supported intermediate its ends in a bearing II3 on the platform 30. The upper end is supported by an upper frame structure Ill and carries the gear pinion 33 which drives the large gear 32 by which the boom is swung'in a horizontal plane. The lower end of the shaft H2 is fitted with a coupling II5 which attaches the removable shaft to a continuing shaft H6. The shaft I I6 carries a brake mechanism II1 shown in Fig.

17, and which will behereinafter described. The

shaft II6 also carries a bevel gear II8 which is I26 splined on 'to the shaft I25. The shaft I25 is suitably connected with the power transmission mechanism through the shaft I3. The shaft I22 is keyed to the gear I2I as previously described. This gear has a clutch element adapted to be engaged by a movable clutch collar I21. The movable clutch collar is splined on to the lower end of the shaft II 6 and when in engagement with the clutch face of the gear I 2I will cause the shafts I I6 and I22 to be locked together so that the shaft I I6 will rotate in'one direction. The gear II8 which is freely rotatable upon the shaft H6 and is in constant driving engagement with the gear H9 is fitted with a clutch face which may be engaged by the clutch collar I21 to lock, the gear to rotate with the shaft H6. In this position the shaft I22 will drive the shaft H6 through gears I2I H9, and II6.-This will produce reverse rotation of the shaft H6. The collar I21 is engaged by a shifting yoke I28 which is pivoted upon a pin I 29' carried by a bracket on the housing of the reversing gear structure. The yoke I28 is secured integral with a bell crank lever having an arm I29 and an arm I36. The arm I29 is attached to a draw bar I3I as shown in Fig. 12 of the drawings. The arm I36 is attached to a pitman'rod I32, pivotally secured to a disc I33. The disc is mounted upon a pivot I34 and is formed with wedge-shaped cam faces I35 as shown in Fig. 1'1. The disc is disposed between end extensions I36 of a brake band which circumscribes the brake drum forming a part of the brake mechanism H1. The band is supported directly upon a bracket I31. The pivot I34carries a pair of heavy springs I38 which act against the members I36 and tend to hold the brake in its set position and the shaft H6 against rotation. It will be evident, however, from examination of Fig. 17, that when operating the clutch collar I21 in either direction from its neutral position the disc I33 will H2. The various operating rods I68, 16, I3I, III

and I50 are operated by their respective levers indicated generally at Main Figs. 1 and 8.

The upper section of the tower is raised and lowered by cables I which are led over suitable pulleys I42 and I43 andare driven by a sprocket I44. When the tower is in its erected position as particularly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, brace. arms I45 are provided. These arms are pivoted to the lower section of the tower at I46 and are pivoted at their lower ends nected with the shoe.

the drawings. crane for operation the boom is unfolded from 1.35

to shoes I41. The arms I45 are preferably tubular having upper and lower sections telescoping into each other as shown in detail in Fig. 7. These sectionsmay be adjustably set by placing a pin through perforations in the telescoping member in any desired extended position. The lower end of each of the arms I45 is fitted with a screw I49 engaging a nut I50 carried by a bracket I5I which'is pivoted at I52 to a'casting I53 mounted uponthe shoe I41. The casting carries a similar fitting I54 pivoted at I55 and by which another brace structure I56 is con- This brace structure is similar in design to the brace arms I45and is fastened to the. frame of the hoist by brackets I51. In order to hold the vehicle rigid so that it will not rest upon its spring suspension, jacks I60 are disposed at opposite ends of the vehicle frame as shown in Fig. 1, and temporarily supprises a cable I6! led over pulleys I62 carried by the frame member H4 and connected to the bottom of the bucket on the far side from the concrete mixer I5. This cable is led down'and around a guide pulley I63 which is wrapped on I61 and controlled by a clutch I68.

In operation of thepresen't invention the entire crane assembly is mounted on a truck in its collapsed position, as shown in Fig. 2 of When it is desired to set up the the position shown in Fig. 2 so that the boom section 38 may swing downwardly and around to assume a position in. alignment with the boom section 39. A bolting plate H is then fastened to the adjoining edges of the two boom sections on opposite sides from the hinge 40 so that the boom will stand in ahorizontal and rigid position. It is then supported by the cable 46 and the tackle 45 and. The cableis then led down around itsdrum in the base of the tower. When the structure is in this position the levers I40 may be controlled by the operator standing on the platform 30 and when these levers are selectively operated the various cables will be wound and unwound to elevate the tower, to raise and lower the bucket 28, and to horizontally and vertically shift the bucket I6 to receive and dump the material disposed of into it from the hopper 26. After the crane has been used and it is desired to fold the boom the operation may be performed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Here it will be seen that the extended boom is brought to rest on a frame structure I10 as shown by solid lines in Fig. 3. The cable 46 is then drawn to move the boom sections 38 and 39 into folded positions as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

This movement continues until the sections 33 and 39 swing vertically and parallel after which the folded boom structure may be lowered to the solid line position indicated in Fig. 4. Here it may be secured by a fastening hook "I. The outer end of the boom .may then be supported by a brace I12 so that the structure is ready for transportation to some other location.

Itwill thus be seen that the structure here disclosed provides a compact and efflcient means of mixing, conveying, and placing concrete and similar materials, the structure being so adapted as to be readily transported as a single unit and While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts, by' those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A portable unit of the class described com prising a motor vehicle, an extensible tower carried thereby, a turn-table at the top of the tower, a boom carried thereby, said boom comprising a plurality of foldable sections, means for support-- prising a motor vehicle, an extensible tower carried thereby, a turn-table at the top of the tower, a boom carried thereby, said boom comprising a plurality of foldable sections, means for supporting the boom in its unfolded and operative position, means for driving the turn-table to swing it in a horizontal plane, power control means for operatively connecting said driving means and the power plant of the vehicle, means for elevating material to the top of the tower, means for-conveying the material to a point of discharge on the boom, and control means for operatively connecting the elevating means with the power plant of the vehicle to drive the same.

3. A device of the character described, the combination of: a vehicle, a power means disposed on said vehicle, an extensible tower carried by said vehicle, a turn-table rotatably mounted on said tower, a boom connected to said turn-table, said boom comprising a plurality of folclable sections, means for support ing said boom in its unfolded and operable position, means connecting between said power means and said turn-table and operable to swing said turn-table in a horizontal plane, means for elevating'material to the upper part of said tower, and means for conveying the material to a point of discharge on said boom.

4. A device ofthe character described, the combination of a supporting base, power means on said base, a tower supported on said base and comprising upper and lower sections disposed in telescopic relation one with the other, a turntable rotatably mounted on said upper tower section, a boom connected to rotate with said turn-table, said boom being formed of a plurality of foldable sections, means for supporting said boom in its extended and operable position, means-connecting between said power means and said turn-table for swinging said boom around the vertical axis of said turnetable, means for elevating material to the upper-section of said tower, and means for conveying the material to a point of discharge on said boom.

5. A device of the .character described, the combinationof: a portable base, a power plant disposed on said base, an extensible tower associated with said base, a turn-table rotatably mounted on the top of said tower, a boom comprising a plurality of foldable sections secured to said turn-table, means for supporting said boom in its unfolded and operative position, means for driving said turn-table to swing it in a horizontal plane, control means connecting between said drive means and said power plant for controlling the operation of said turn-table,

means for elevating material to the upper part of said tower, means for conveying the material from the upper part of said tower to a point of discharge on said boom, and control means for operatively connecting the elevating means with said power plant.

6. A device of the chanacter described, the combination of: a portable base, a power plant disposed on said base, an' extensible tower associated with said base, a turn-table rotatably mounted on the top ofsaid tower, a boom comprising a plurality of foldable sections secured to said turn-table, means for supporting said boom in its unfolded and operative position, means for driving said turn-table to swing it in a horizontal plane, control means connecting between said drive means and said power plant for controlling the operation of said turn-table, means for elevating material to the upper part of said tower, means for conveying the material from the upper part of said tower to a point of discharge on said boom, control means for operatively connecting the elevating means with said power plant, and control means connecting between said elevating and conveying means and said power plant for controlling the operation of said elevatingand conveying means.

HAL HAYES. 

